Radio frequency communication systems are becoming more common, and radio users are operating over larger geographic regions than they have in the past. Users on large private systems, where operational modes are normally preprogrammed, find operating their radio units outside of their normal operational area confusing, especially when they choose to operate with different options or with different talk groups. As well, many times these different options or services, such as telephone interconnect, group dispatch, and data operate over a vast number of sites with varying coverage areas. Private system radios are routinely preprogrammed with over 200 options. Users need a way to quickly sort through only the valid choices of sites and options when they operate their radio to choose a mode of operation.
Many radios subscribe to numerous systems. These systems offer a large variety of system features and/or services, such as user talk groups, E-mail, voice mail, phone interconnect service, emergency calls, emergency alarms, dispatcher communication, priority queuing, wide area coverage, status and messaging, circuit data, packet data, and private calling, to name a few. All systems may not offer all of these features, hence the various services tend to be listed on a menu for each radio with respect to the different system. It is not unlikely that a communication unit may leave the range or coverage area of a particular system, rendering the services from that system useless to the radio and the user. Consequently, when the user attempts to use his radio, he must scroll through information relating to systems to which he has no current access. When there are numerous systems and numerous services available to such a user, it is very frustrating and time consuming for that user to have to scroll through all possible information while trying to make selections. It is even more inefficient when those selections are not currently available to the user, and the user must make numerous choices before finding an available service.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method of determining available communication services and then displaying them in a more useful and efficient manner to a user.